US Senator: We do not have a better friend than Georgia

A team of US delegates are in Georgia to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.  

A group of senators and congressmen headed by the senator James Inhofe are in Georgia.  

The delegates met with President Girogi Margvelashvili and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and other Government officials today. The meetings were also attended by the US Ambassador to Georgia, Richard Norland.

One of the main issues discussed between with the President was a successful cooperation between the US and Georgia in the field of international security and anti-terrorist activities.  

The US representatives stressed that the US was a strategic partner of Georgian and they would do their best to develop their relationship.  

President Margvelashvili thanked the US delegation members for supporting the country's non-recognition policy towards the occupied territories, its sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. He said the upcoming visit of the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, was a good step forward.  

Senator Inhofe said: "We strictly condemn occupation of additional territories by Russia what was happening for the last period. This threatens Georgia's sovereignty and free choice of the Georgian people to be a part of the European and Euro-Atlantic space."

"We firmly support Georgia's aspirations towards NATO membership and are grateful for its contribution in the international military mission in Afghanistan. We call on Russia to stop its aggressive activities against Georgia, the country that has recently held two democratic elections. We do not have a better friend than Georgia in the world," Republican Party and a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee stated.  

After meeting the President, the delegation also met with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and other Government members including Foreign Affairs, Defense and Justice MPs, and the State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.  

Georgia's State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Alexi Petriashvili, said the delegation's statement about the Russian occupation was "very significant".

"Russian forces continue to occupy Georgian territories. Unfortunately, Georgia's territorial integrity is neglected in this situation. The statement of the American senators proves their very firm support of Georgian territorial integrity and reoccupation. They support the direction of the Georgian Government towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration," Petriashvili said.  

Georgia's Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze sais the country's ongoing processes were discussed at the meeting. Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani said the challenges facing the Georgian government were also laid on the table.  

"The US is a friend of Georgian people, not of a particular government," Tsulukiani said.  

"The main thing for the government is to face the challenges. The main challenges for us are human rights, creating a legal state and institutional democracy that will be a system where the court will be free of pressure, human rights will be fully defended and elections held fairly. The system must not be depended on personalities of governments," Tsulukiani stated.  

The US Congressional delegation in Georgia includes Senator John Boozman (Arkansas Republican), Congresswoman  Ann Kirkpatrick (Arizona Democrat), Congressman Ander Crenshaw (Florida Republican),  and Congressman Stevan "Steve Pearce (New Mexico Republican).